TCU grad who worked for Dallas Cowboys wins Miss USA, a pageant that paired 'MeToo' moments, bikini contest

A TCU graduate from Nebraska beat 50 other women to win the crown at this year's Miss USA competition.

Sarah Rose Summers, a 23-year-old contestant from Omaha, graduated from Texas Christian University with two degrees and is working on becoming a certified child life specialist.

Born and raised a Cornhusker fan, Summers has since professed herself a "proud TCU Horned Frog" and even worked for the Dallas Cowboys promotions team for a stint, according to her LinkedIn profile.

The contest, broadcast on Fox from Shreveport, La., and hosted by Vanessa and Nick Lachey, paired bikini and nightgown contests with a montage of personal "MeToo" moments and the contestants' thoughts on protecting women on college campuses.

Summers deftly navigated the usual minefields to take the tiara, thanks in part to a question round that pulled some punches.

With Monday evening's victory, she takes over from Kara McCullough, who won the competition last year when it was held in Las Vegas.

That competition set social media abuzz after McCullough characterized health care as a privilege and not a right for Americans. She'd later walk back that response.

Then last fall, the Miss America pageant stoked controversy after an especially bold answer from Miss Texas Margana Wood, who criticized President Donald Trump for his reaction to a deadly protest in Charlottesville, Va.

"I think that President Donald Trump should have made a statement earlier," Wood said in the final question round, "addressing the fact and in making sure all Americans feel safe in this country. That is the No. 1 issue right now."

Wood's answer couldn't propel her to the win, but she did finish in the top 10. McCullough shrugged off her gaff to win it all in a pageant once owned by Trump.

This year's top five finalists for Miss USA played it a bit safer with questions submitted by the contestants themselves.

Summers' question was written by Miss Florida Genesis Davila: "One in four children in the United States live in a single-parent household. How has that affected our generation's views on marriage and family?"

And her answer: "I am so grateful to have grown up in a home with two parents. Hi, parents, out there. And so I can't personally relate to this. However, I do work in children's hospitals as a certified child life specialist where I'm a liaison between the children and families and the medical team. And I've seen single mothers at the bedside working remotely on their computers to stay by their children and support them, and I think that it just shows that children, no matter if it's a boy or a girl, that they can do that."

After the judges narrowed down the field to three, they tossed the contestants another softball, written by the show's producers: "You're on your way to a march and someone hands you a blank sign and a marker. What do you put on your sign and why?"

Miss Nebraska's answer: "I say 'Speak your voice.' I don't know what march we're on our way to in this hypothetical situation, but no matter where you're going, whatever type of march it is, you're obviously on your way to that march because you care about that cause. So go speak to people. When they have questions, communicate to them. Listen to their views also. That is one thing in the United States that we really need to focus on, is listening to each other.

The last line drew one of the biggest cheers of the evening, which touched on one of the year's biggest themes: the "#MeToo" movement that has focused attention on sexual harassment and sexual assault. In a video montage, the contestants talked about particular "#MeToo" moments they had experienced and women's empowerment.

From The Associated Press and The Washington Post

Compiled by Breaking News editor Matt Peterson

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At the start of a two-hour broadcast, the field was immediately narrowed down to 15 contestants according to how they performed during preliminary rounds held in the days before Monday's broadcast.

Then the field was narrowed down during the evening gown, swimsuit and interview portions of the competition.

The final three contestants — Summers, Caelynn Miller-Keyes of North Carolina and Carolina Urrea of Nevada — were asked what they would write on a blank sign on the way to a hypothetical march. Miller-Keyes was first runner-up and Urrea the second runner-up.

Summers said she would encourage people to "speak your voice" with her sign. Urrea vowed to work to eliminate homelessness. Miller-Keyes spoke about sexual assault prevention, saying she would march for "your body, your rights."

Winners were chosen by a combination of a selection committee that contest organizers said included female entrepreneurs and executives and input from viewers who were able to vote online.

Other contestants included a sergeant in the Army, an ICU nurse and an aspiring police officer.

Summers now goes on to represent the United States in the Miss Universe competition.

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/us-news/2018/05/22/tcu-grad-worked-dallas-cowboys-wins-miss-usaa-pageant-paired-metoo-moments-bikini-contest